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A Bible Professor Breaks Down Everything You Need to Know About Modern English Bible Translations
Article By: Blake Barbera
Contributor: Christine Davis
As a seminary professor, my students ask me about Bible translations every semester. Which one is the best? What translation should I adopt for everyday use? Do I have to give up King James? At some point in almost every class, this topic comes up.
It’s not an accident. With so many modern English translations available today, this has become a topic of importance to many Christians. How does one choose which translation is best? Or, best for them?
The main thing you should know is that there are three methods of Bible translation being used by scholars today: dynamic equivalence, form equivalence, and optimal equivalence.
One method, dynamic equivalence, is a thought-for-thought translation. A good example of a dynamic equivalence translation is the New Living Translation (NLT). It does not follow, or even attempt to follow, the form, grammar, or wording of the original texts. Rather, it attempts to convey the general idea being presented by the original author in compelling, aesthetically pleasing modern English. You could say that it’s much more focused on presenting relatable modern English than it is on accurately conveying the original Greek or Hebrew.
On the other end of the translation spectrum you have form equivalence Bible translations, also known as word-for-word translations. Examples are the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB). These translations are much more focused on keeping the form and syntax of the original Greek and Hebrew than they are on producing relatable contemporary English, hence the name “form equivalence.” Despite that, both translations do a good job of providing the reader with easily understood modern English.
In between dynamic equivalence and form equivalence you have what’s called optimal equivalence. This phrase was coined by the publishers of the NIV to try and create a middle ground for Bible translation. They recognize that there are times during translation when a word-for-word rendering simply cannot convey the original intent of the author into understandable modern English. While a word-for-word methodology is preferred, sometimes a thought-for-thought one is necessary. The NIV translators tried their best to blend both methodologies into one and, in doing so, came up with the phrase “optimal equivalence.”
The question for anyone deciding on a Bible translation should be this: how many choices do you want your Bible translator to make for you?
This has created confusion for many about the NIV. Is it a word-for-word or a thought-for-thought translation? While the NIV represents a good modern English Bible, it is not a word-for-word translation. In my opinion, it is the best thought-for-thought translation available today, but that is altogether different from being a word-for-word translation. However, their translation committee for the Old Testament was an especially reputable group, which makes the NIV Old Testament a valuable resource to have.
One must understand, however, that anytime someone is creating a thought-for-thought translation of the Bible into a modern, contemporary language, certain historical and cultural aspects of the original text will inevitably be lost in translation. This is also true concerning word-for-word translations, but not to the same degree it is for dynamic/optimal equivalence translations.
The question for anyone deciding on a Bible translation should be this: how many choices do you want your Bible translator to make for you? If you want a good, modern translation that makes the least amount of interpretive choices necessary to produce a good translation, go with the ESV. Just be aware that there may well be things you come across that require you to do your own research. You may not know what a drachma is, or you may not understand the phrase “two cubits and a span.” You’ll learn with time as you're forced to go outside the Bible in order to learn about the historical and cultural characteristics found within the Bible. If, on the other hand, you want some of the historical/cultural aspects of the ancient text to be interpreted for you, go with something like the NIV.
What are my thoughts on the King James Version (KJV)? This translation is a classic. It was the first English Bible ever to become widely read, and is, of course, an excellent translation, especially when one considers the limited resources the translators had to work with. However, there are two main problems with reading it today: 1) it no longer represents a living language, and 2) it is riddled with errors that have been sorted out in modern translations.
In the original 1611 translation of the KJV, the only Greek manuscript translators had to work with was the Textus Receptus. This is a much later set of New Testament manuscripts that, unfortunately, accumulated thousands of years worth of tiny errors over time. If you read a reputable modern English translation, the majority of these errors have been sorted out thanks to the plethora of manuscripts available to translators today. While most of these errors are minuscule and have no bearing on any central Christian doctrine, they are still present in the KJV.
Perhaps more importantly, the English of the KJV is no longer the language we speak[1]. While reading can be enjoyable for some, it is a setback for most, especially new Christians who have not grown up being exposed to it regularly. Coupling that with the fact that translations like the ESV and NIV, written in today’s vernacular, are much more accurate, the KJV is probably the last translation one should use for everyday reading and study[2].
The same goes for the New King James Version (NKJV), which fails to capture the form and beauty of the KJV (even though that was one of the main goals in producing it), while simultaneously not correcting any of the errors found in the original KJV. If one is looking for a modern translation that carries the tradition of the KJV, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is a much better choice.
Lastly, for anyone who wants to enhance their Bible knowledge and develop consistent Bible reading habits, here is what I recommend: Get a reader’s edition of any good modern translation, preferably the ESV or the NIV, and read it daily.
What is a reader’s edition, you ask? Since the original books of the Bible were written as historical narratives, poems, prophecies and letters, they contained no chapter or verse markers, and they certainly did not have section headings. All of this was added later by translators and publishers. A reader's edition of the Bible honors the original form of each book by removing these added features to help give the reader a more authentic experience. Also, whenever possible, get in the habit of reading the Bible a book at a time, which is how most books and letters were read during the times in which the Bible was written. One book per sitting, whenever possible, is a great way to read through the entire Bible in a reasonably quick time frame. Also, reading aloud is extremely helpful to some people, and this technique has the benefit of being time-tested. For centuries, the Bible was almost always read aloud by anyone who could read it (see Acts 8:26-40).
Lastly, I recommend that anyone who wants to become a student of the Bible find a good Bible reading plan. This will help you stay on track as you endeavor to get through all 66 books of the inspired Scriptures at least once yearly (I’ve provided recommendations below).
Above all, the most important thing to remember when reading the Bible is this: for the Christian, it is a means to an end. The point of engaging with the Written Word is to come into a deeper relationship with the Living Word. Every time you open Scripture, you should know that the same God who authored it desires to meet with you, right there amid the paper and ink, to reveal himself to you. To live in personal, ongoing communion with the living God is purpose #1 of the Christian life, and having His Word as a gateway into personal, face-to-face communion is a benefit far too many of His children seem to ignore.
Below, you will find some valuable resources that can help you learn more about this subject and others.
Helpful Resources for aspiring Bible students:
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Fee/Stuart) (highly recommended): https://amzn.to/3VLY80L
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Bruce): https://amzn.to/49leJhe
The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable and Relevant? (Kaiser): https://amzn.to/4gb1u5C
A Student's Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible (Wegner): https://amzn.to/49BjF1O
Navigator’s Bible Reading Plans (I recommend the first two): https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/
The Chronological Bible Reading Plan: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/chronological.html
[1] While many people refer to the English featured in the KJV as “Old English,” this is not technically accurate, as Old English died out around the 11th century. It should more accurately be thought of as “Shakespearean English.”
[2] Please understand that I am not prohibiting reading the KJV occasionally. In fact, it is my opinion that the best thing one can do to become familiar with the Bible is to read it often in as many different translations as possible. However, the KJV, while I am forever grateful for it, is not really a Bible that suits the modern interpreter well for everyday use.
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